Striking Assam nurses suspend stir

The All Assam Nurses’ Association (AANA) has suspended its stir from 2 pm today (Nov 30) and will wait for the outcome of its Dec 4 meeting with Health department officials before charting the next course of action. The AANA leadership had met Assam Health department officials at Janata Bhavan and, following a written assurance from the Government of looking into their demands, the association decided to suspend its stir.

Interestingly, the association has split into two camps — one led by its president Anjana Saikia who had announced to suspend the stir yesterday night and the other led by secretary Junu Chetia who announced today about the decision to suspend the agitation from 2 pm.

Anjana Saikia was ironically suspended from AANA president’s post.

#BREAKING | All #Assam Nurses' Association (AANA) to suspend their agitation from 2 pm today, to chart their next course of action taking into account the outcome of their Dec 4 meeting with Government, announces AANA secretary Junu Chetia. pic.twitter.com/Zfepkwmp9l

GNM nurses working in Government-run medical colleges and hospitals were on ceased work since Monday seeking immediate resolution of anomalies related to grade pay structure of the 7th Pay Commission report besides seeking the restoration of ‘Staff Nurse’ designation that has been done away with and replaced by the ‘Nurse’ designation.

Meanwhile, the government has threatened to crackdown on striking nurses with Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma smelling a rat on the issue. The minister, who has been on a whirlwind campaign for party candidates for the upcoming panchayat elections, said in Demow during a rally that despite the government agreed to look into all their demands, the agitating nurses did not call of their stir on Thursday itself.

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He also said that the strike by the nurses was launched to push the BJP to a sticky wicket ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections.

“I have seen a particular Guwahati-based television channel that has been supporting the strike and egging them to continue. It’s not a normal stir; there’s politics involved. The strike was launched to push the State Government to a corner and score political brownie points ahead of the panchayat elections,” Sarma said.